We all know two sprouts pretty well, alfalfa and bean sprouts. But did you know that you can sprout almost any bean, seed, or grain? Think pea sprouts, lentil sprouts, chickpea sprouts, wheat berry sprouts and sunflower seed sprouts. And did you know you can make your own sprouts, and time of year in your kitchen with just a few easy steps? Sprouts are also a lot more versatile than you think; think outside the box of sandwich toppings and stirfry’s. You can also…

So, you wanna grow your own food in these nutritonally and economically poor times? Here’s how. Look in your pantry or purchase some beans/seeds/grains of your choice (my favorites are mung beans, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and wheat berries-easily purchased in virtually any grocery store) The method for sprouting all grains and seeds is the same-only the time it takes to sprout differs.

What you will need

I learned this delicious recipe from the amazing whole foods chef, Eva Cabaca, the teacher in our “Holistic Food Preparation” class when I was in school. This is still one of my favorite hummus recipes and I’m sure you will agree. Once you learn the basic recipe you can play around with ingredients, but personally, I wouldn’t stray too far from this one!

Monsanto is a multinational biotechnological company who creates genetically modified organisms/foods (GMO’s). In Canada, it is up to the food companies to “voluntarily” label their foods as genetically modified (which not one company does), so as consumers we cannot make informed choices.

Most people have no idea what threats genetic modification have to our health, the health of our planet and the safety of our food supply.

Please watch this video so you can be better informed as to what you may be putting in your mouth every day and to how your food choices affect our world.

Genetically Engineered Foods are foods that have been manipulated in a laboratory by changing its genetic blueprint. New genes or DNA segments are transferred from one organism to another, or existing DNA segments are scrambled or deleted. Most of these specialized foods are designed to kill insect pests, be more aesthetically pleasing, or be resistant to an herbicide; allowing the farmer to spray weed killers without harming the desired plant. These genetic changes are radically different from those resulting from traditional methods of breeding. Infectuous viruses and bacteria are most frequently used to jump start new genes into action.

Are there potential risks to genetically engineered foods? (GE’s GMO’s)

I’ve included two garlic recipes, one featuring garlic as the main event, and another combined with another superfood, kale. Kale has more nutritional value per calorie than almost any other food out there. People often ask me how to eat more leafy greens, and this is a great way to get the best and tastiest multivitamins around.

Roasted Garlic Appetizer

Featuring everything you wanted to know about (mostly) local and always super, Superfoods!

This month’s super food is also a super medicine, the stinking rose…garlic!

Although the growing season is more in spring and summer, garlic can grow through the fall and stores well all winter making it a delicious seasonal winter food.

History

Part of the alliums’ family, along with onions, chives, green onions, shallots and leeks; garlic is known to have first been grown around 3200 BC. Inscriptions and pictures of garlic found in the pyramids of ancient Egypt testify to the fact that garlic was not only an important food, but also had ceremonial significance as well. Warriors would eat it before going into battle, gods were given gifts of garlic and babies wore garlic around their necks to ward off evil.

This month’s featured book is “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver.

It’s rare you will find me reading a romance novel, but give me a book about food, whether it be cooking food, eating food, growing food or the history of a food and I am one happy girl. This particular book is the perfect food lover’s book, “part memoir, part recipe collection, part gardeners manifesto, part call to action, and part education. It is a story about a family who vowed for one year to only buy food raised in their neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it.”

The campaign seeks to increase the awareness of natural and organic products in Canada and to draw attention to the demonstrated benefits of these products.

National Health Food Month looks to improve upon the perception that natural health products are safe, effective and have health claims on their labels supported by evidence.

And finally, National Health Food Month aims to increase the awareness that the natural health product industry has been regulated since 2004 and the organic industry will be regulated in the near future. Such knowledge will continue to boost consumer confidence amongst Canadians.

Featuring everything you wanted to know about (mostly) local and always super, Superfoods!

This month…..the mighty tomato.

My favorite of all vegetables (although technically it’s the fruit part of the plant that we eat), whichever food kingdom you believe it belongs in, this super food is perfect for this time of year. Not only because they are still to be found ripening on local Ontario vines in November, but also because they help the body resist infection, fight cancer, aid in clearing toxins, and benefit the kidneys. Tomatoes can also help lower blood pressure and offer protection against acute appendicitis and digestive disorders. This is one of the most versatile of foods to cook with and now is your last chance to gather up all the local tomatoes you can, and cook them up in soups, stews, tomato sauces and chili’s to warm the body and soul.